EXCELSIOR, Minn. — Two men face felony charges stemming from the December break-in and vandalism of a chocolate shop in Excelsior that led to a big community reaction.
Alexander Running, 19, of Lester Prairie, and Karsten Luttschwager, 20, of Minneapolis are both charged with 3rd-degree burglary and 1st-degree damage for property for allegedly breaking into Truffle Hill Chocolates and spraying a fire extinguisher throughout the entire store, ruining all the chocolate during the lead-up to the busy Christmas season.
The duo broke through a window on Nov. 30, 2022, crawled in and ate some chocolates, stole a computer and money, and caused more than $24,000 in damage by spraying everything with a fire extinguisher, according to the criminal complaint.
The charges say the duo admitted they did it because they were “bored.”
A search warrant filed by the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department reveals many more details. It says Running and Luttschwager were arrested on Dec. 14 after being found in a stolen vehicle following a burglary alarm at Greenwood Market.
During the police interrogation, Running admitted to stealing the van, damaging the business in Greenwood, and breaking into Truffle Hill Chocolates, according to the search warrant affidavit.
“Running stated that they then had left, but Luttschwager was concerned that they had left potential DNA evidence and wanted to go back to cover up their crime. Luttschwager then returned on his own and re-entered the business and used a fire extinguisher to cover their DNA,” the affidavit stated.
The document said when Luttschwager was interviewed by police, he admitted to the Truffle Hill Chocolate burglary and “other crimes that he was the suspect of in other jurisdiction.”
Luttschwager and Running are also charged with felony theft regarding the stolen van. They admitted taking it then trying to smash the door at Greenwood Market with a rock, according to the criminal complaint.
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